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It started with “doesn’t Robynne Richards’ male leads kind of remind you of Bruce?”
The question comes from Stephanie, who apparently has the same fondness for Robynne Richards that’s been endemic in all of Gotham since the author published their first novel, nine years ago.
It’s a question that gathers Dick’s – and everyone else’s – attention. Robynne Richards may be famous in Gotham, but popular culture doesn’t penetrate Wayne Manor, so for most of the household, Robynne Richards is a mystery.
A mystery to everyone except Dick.
He lets out a nervous chuckle. “Steph, that’s ridiculous… she’s written ten best-selling novels in nine years, I’m sure someone would’ve noticed if she’s been recycling her characters.”
As soon as he says it, he knows he’s made a mistake. Whatever mild interest they all had about Robynne grows ten-fold when they hear how much Dick knows about her. When Dick had… gotten involved in the thing he’d gotten involved in, he’d made sure to distance himself from literature in order to cover up his trail, should he leave any. So him knowing anything about an author? Unheard of. Interesting. Worth talking about.
“Tt. I didn’t know you could sit still enough to read, Grayson. This Richards must be talented,” Damian muses.
Dick flinches and desperately tries to change the subject, but before he can open his mouth to say something that would surely derail the subject, Tim starts talking.
“I hate to say this, but Damian’s right. You hate reading, Dick. What’s so special about this Richards lady?”
Stephanie scoffs. “Robynne is amazing, okay – I totally owe her. I gave Kara her first novel for her birthday and after she read it she thanked me by sucking my brains out through my – um… I mean. Kara asked me out after I gave her Heart Change, and if that isn’t a sign of how good she is, then I don’t know what is.”
Ignoring the TMI moment from Steph, Bruce nods. He’s not exactly Bruce at the moment, being the only person in the room in costume, but apparently even Batman gets curious – especially when his civilian identity is involved. “You said something about her leads being a lot like Bruce Wayne,” he intones, voice gravelly as usual. “Explain.”
Steph nods excitedly. “Okay, so – Robynne is the only author who has ever set their stories in Gotham, and that’s why she’s so popular here. Her first novel, Heart Change, is about a woman named Mary Jane who comes back to Gotham after the death of her son, who was in the care of her ex-husband at the time. The story is like – it’s really fantastical, but it’s so emotional and evocative too. Their son gets resurrected but he’s all broken inside, so they ‘pretend’ to be together again for their son who doesn’t remember their divorce, and slowly, as their son heals… so does their relationship. It’s so romantic but also Gotham.”
Tim gives her a wide-eyes stare. Dick hopes its because he can’t believe Steph’s voice reaches that pitch, and not because he sees any familiarity between that storyline and a certain second Robin’s death.
But Dick wouldn’t have the life he does if he had good luck. “That… that sounds way too familiar,” Tim says, and Dick mentally revises his will to exclude Tim. I’m not giving anything to my cause of death. That means Bruce is out, too, because he’s definitely going to kill me. And Steph is out, for bringing this up in the first place. Damian gets everything. Damian, Cass, Jason and Alfred. Also, Barbara want’s my suit for some reason… better not ask.
“I think I’ve read that book! Does the girl – Mary Jane – move to Bludhaven and become head detective at a corrupt police department? And she gets framed for murder and her husband uses his influence to clear her name!”
Dick mentally breathes a sigh of relief. To be fair to his luck – it’s been pretty solid about keeping him alive all this time.
Stephanie nods at Tim, eyes bright and excited. “Yes! Me and Kara’s favourite part is when she’s sitting in a prison cell and the guard tells her someone’s there to see her and it’s Elliot in a three piece suit, telling her he’s going to do everything in his power to get her out of there. He’s so dreamy.”
Bruce raises an eyebrow. “And this… Elliot… reminds you of me?” He looks interested – at least, as interested as he can look in the suit.
In fact, everyone looks interested. Even Damian – and Dick gets the sinking feeling that the ten year old is going to get a hold of Robynne Richards’ entire bibliography.
“Yeah! Actually - Robynne’s third book is about Batman and a girl called Darcy, who he saves from a fire started by Penguin that kills everyone else in her family. To get revenge, she becomes a vigilante called Featherwing, and she and Batman have tension because he was such a huge figure in her childhood and she’s conflicted about her growing feelings for him.”
Dick wants to interrupt her with a I never said it was Penguin! I only implied – there’s no way I was gonna put in a real villain in my book, my editor would kill me!
He doesn’t of course.
Damian nods like he isn’t ten and completely oblivious to the workings of love. “Interesting. So people enjoy these books because it’s set in Gotham?”
“Sort of? More that… it’s set in Gotham so all the characters have these weird shit happening to them all the time, and everyone’s kind of tragic, but people still fall in love and get a sort of happily ever after… it’s like Gotham, but like Gotham when Dick was Batman – no offense, Batman. It was Gotham, except more optimistic.”
Oh Stephanie, how right you are…
Damian nods. “I think I will read these books. I demand to borrow your copies.”
Stephanie doesn’t even glare, she’s too excited at the fact she won him over. “No way – I’m buying everyone their own copy. We have enough money.”
Tim and Bruce glance at each other before nodding in agreement.
“I liked the first book she wrote, so it wouldn’t hurt to try her other stuff…”
“Exploring how similar Bruce Wayne is to these other characters couldn’t hurt.”
Steph unlocks her phone to order the hardcover limited edition versions of Robynne’s books, and Dick can feel his pockets growing heavier with each tap-tap-tap from her phone. Those limited edition boxsets cost three hundred dollars – even Dick had goggled at the price before he was assured that it was considered reasonable.
Steph pauses in her intense typing and turns to Dick. He tenses, suddenly convinced he’s done something in the last three seconds that revealed his secret to her and everyone in the family.
“What about you, Dickie? Need me to buy them for you?”
He shakes his head, feeling relieved. “Oh… nah… I… I have my own copies.” And the manuscripts. And the manuscript with the editor’s comments.
I even have an advanced copy of the next book…
Dixie Sun had been in love with James Xavier her whole life, but when she finally decides to confess her feelings for him, he mysteriously dies. His entire estate and fortune is left to his ten year old son, who Dixie hadn’t even known existed. And according to James’ will, Dennis Xavier’s legal guardian is…. her.